Too few community college students are graduating

They're increasing, but graduation rates are still low

Though rising numbers of students are taking remedial courses at community colleges in the Rochester region and across the state, there have not been any significant gains in graduation rates. Obviously, there is a need to reassess the current approach to helping struggling students.

Fortunately, as staff writer James Goodman reported today, this situation is already on the radar screens of schools such as Monroe Community College. The problem, however, seems to be disagreement about the best remediation approaches and a lack of financial resources. SUNY Trustees, who oversee the state's community colleges, should recommend the best remediation practices.

It's arguable whether MCC's preferred remedy of shortening the time students spend in costly, non-credited refresher classes is the best strategy. Beginning next fall, students currently taking up to three successive classes in remedial writing, for example, will take two remedial writing courses that also incorporate reading.

Schools such as the Community College of Baltimore County, meanwhile, have had laudable success placing students needing remediation in for-credit English 101 courses, for example, and at the same time requiring them to take not-for-credit English tutoring classes. Credible reviews found students in the tandem classes consistently out-performed students on the traditional remedial track.

And with nearly 45 percent of full-time students beginning at SUNY community colleges in 2011 needing one or more remedial classes, SUNY Trustees need to seek a greater share of state dollars for remediation.

An MCC initiative at East High that targeted academic shortfalls while students are still in high school was recently scuttled because it ran out of money. The program had received national recognition.

Finally, while there is certainly a place for extra funding and more creative approaches to remediation, the best remedy is to ensure that students graduate from high school prepared for college.

Of course, that's the responsibility of local school districts. But schools such as Finger Lakes Community College wisely offer assessment tests in math and English to juniors at high schools. Students who need to shore up have a full year to do so.

Community colleges provide welcome opportunity to struggling students in particular. But that opportunity and millions in student aid dollars are squandered if poor graduation rates persist.